


Non-Obvious Relationship Factors

by yunmin



Category: Bones (TV), Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-15 22:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3463661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yunmin/pseuds/yunmin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two child prodigies, at the same university, studying the same thing? Some would say they were destined to make something of that pairing.</p><p>The truth is, as always, a little more complicated; but in the end, they'll work themselves out - it's what they always do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Non-Obvious Relationship Factors

**Author's Note:**

> I recently passed 20,000 hits total on ao3, as well as 800 kudos, which was very exciting and I'd just like to thank everyone who's ever read, kudosed, commented on anything of mine - you guys are wonderful and I wrote this for you.
> 
> (I've been toying around with the idea of a university!au for a while, and this was an excuse to write one. Not strictly an au as technically Spencer and Zack could have been at uni together, but enough that I've tagged as such.) Written in one sitting, un-betaed, forgive the mistakes; it's late where I am. The title is snatched from Reid's dissertation.
> 
> A disclaimer: I continue to know nothing about the US education system, science, or math. Please excuse any errors.

Zack's not an idiot.

There's empirical proof of that fact, of course, in the form of his 170+ IQ, and the doctorate he's currently pursuing (in addition to the two undergraduate degrees he possesses – has he mentioned he's only twenty?) and yet still people seem to insist that, when it comes to people, he lacks certain skills.

They're probably right. Zack spent three years in a private high school not talking to anyone before his mother finally gave in and let him go to college a year early. But that doesn't mean he's completely oblivious about the entire thing.

For instance, he's pretty certain that Spencer Reid, darling of every professor on campus, has spent the last two months flirting with him.

Which is pretty difficult to get his head around. Spencer Reid is brilliant; two undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Sociology, a Doctorate in Chemistry pretty much done and dusted (he's got his thesis defence to go, but the professors aren't going to give him a hard time about it), is currently pursuing an Engineering doctorate (same as Zack), and, if the CalTech rumour mill is anything to go by, seriously considering going in for one in Math, as well.

So, yeah. Zack is good, but Spencer is in a whole other league. And it's not like his social skills are that much better, really; he's better at faking it, and has a friend named Ethan who acts as an intermediary between Spencer and the rest of the world. There'd been a time when everyone assumed they were dating, but Ethan turns up one week with a girl on his arm (and then a different one, every week, and sometimes men) and nothing changes between him and Spencer so it probably isn't true.

About the flirting: calling it that is possible a small exaggeration. But Zack has never been flirted with in his life, so he thinks he's allowed. But Spencer keeps sending him these sideways glances, smiles when he speaks up in supervision meetings with a slightly crazy idea, and his gaze lingers on Zack's features whenever he thinks Zack isn't paying attention.

It's nice to be wanted, even if Zack doesn't really know what to do with it.

.

They spend a lot of time together. The University encourages it, thinking that their child prodigies will be good together, and technically they're pursuing the same thing.

Only, their methods and endgame and wildly divergent and have been, really, since day one, so why they end up with research space together when the PhDs are reshuffled, goodness knows. Spencer's started looking at geographical modelling and theoretical applications, while Zack's research is practical; looking at vehicular structure and wondering if he can bring his passing interest in robotics into the entire thing.

Spencer comes back one day with a dozen books that are from one of the Professor's personal collections rather than the CalTech library. Zack notices him fumbling for the door and opens it for him, watching closely as Spencer's gawky frame deposits the books on his desk. "Who are those from?"

"A gift from Professor Epps," Spencer answers, taking the top book and flicking it open. "You can look if you want, isn't one of your undergraduates in Math?"

Spencer is right, and Zack's never told him that info, which means either someone else told him or he looked it up. Professor Epps is one of the best, a child prodigy in his own right, and if Spencer is talking to him it can only mean one thing: "So, you're thinking of going for that third doctorate?"

"Probably," Spencer answers. He's ten pages in already. "Gideon thinks it's a good idea. I think it would help. And it wouldn't be an excessive amount of work. I've just got to pick a topic."

Zack has no advice to offer there; his undergraduate dissertations were both largely mandated by his supervisors after failure to choose in the allotted time. His post-grad is only going marginally better. "You will be good at whatever you pick." It's an objective fact, one that Zack can calculate and prove to be true, and yet Spencer still smiles at him, that little, soft one that he reserves only for people he likes.

"I need to be better than good," Spencer says. "And I need it to be something I can solve without it taking over my life. Which is why the professor leant me all these books. There's something here."

"Don't stay up all night reading them." Zack knows he will, given half a chance; he should probably pop into Ethan's lab before he leaves and let him drag the other man home for the evening. "You're TA-ing tomorrow morning."

"I know." Spencer speaks gently, spinning his chair away with the book still in his hands. Zack returns to his own work. He knows it's ridiculous, but he's already getting frustrated with it. There are so many things he could be doing, and he's not really sure which path is the right one. He's considering going for Forensic Anthropology, but it would mean moving back east to study under the woman who is best in her field, and Zack isn't sure he's quite ready for that yet.

There's a little bit of light than falls into their window in the afternoon; warm, california sunshine that Zack doesn't appreciate half as much as most of the undergrads do. But it lights up Spencer's profile as he reads, and Zack watches him; just as Spencer watches him when Zack spends hours pouring over design manuals. High, prominent cheekbones made all the more prominent by the light, wide, boyish eyes that make him look younger than his twenty years, hair that is long but neat and tucked back, unlike the scarecrow mop Zack sports. Spencer clearly remembers to cut his hair, its length purposeful, unlike Zack who waits until he gets home and his mother protests and grabs some scissors and hauls him to the kitchen sink.

Spencer only looks up when he closes the book and reaches to get another one and catches Zack in the process of cataloguing each millimetre of his skin. Zack blushes, ducks his head, burrows behind the stack of paper on his desk. It's stupid; it doesn't matter; Spencer does exactly the same thing.

He still does it anyway.

.

Spencer has his second doctorate down before Zack even knows what's happening, with a dissertation entitled " _Identifying non-obvious relationship factors using cluster weighted modelling and geographic regression_." With the help of Professor Epps and the CalTech math crew, it won't be long until number three is done and dusted. Spencer is racing through them, at a speed unmatched by anyone.

It's like he's running out of time. But Zack doesn't know any reason why that would be the case; maybe he just wants to get on with his life.

He's certainly sorted out what he's doing when he's finished that third; the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit want him, and will do whatever it takes to get him. He'll be off to Quantico, and Ethan with him; the two still close after all these years and more than a couple of tiffs.

Zack's formally started his Forensic Anthropology doctorate, and has sent an application off to the Jeffersonian for the position of Doctor Brennan's intern. He hopes he gets it. It'll give him direction where there currently isn't any.

He and Spencer still share the same office, despite having different disciplines now. They've accumulated so much in the way of books and paper than it seems silly to move across campus for such a purpose. Students are in and out; Spencer still TA-ing on a couple of courses while he puts together the pieces on his last dissertation. None of them are that much younger than they are, but it can feel that way after Zack gets dragged into explaining a rudimentary concept to a boy who just doesn't get it. But he shares in the jubilation when a girl stops by with what, for a first year, is a remarkably engaging response to the theorem they've been set that week.

And there are late evenings over coffee, when all the students are done, where they take the time to sit and read the other's progress for the day. Or Spencer, leaning over Zack's shoulder as he reads over old reports that Doctor Brennan has done, because the position with her is what he wants more than anything right now.

Sometimes it's difficult to remember that, with Spencer's warm breath at his ear, slender hands that always want to turn the page before he does, face close enough that Zack could just turn around and kiss him and finally break the tension that, while hardly a live-wire, has been between them for months and months now.

One day, he does just that.

A press of lips against another, book in hand, a gasp; and Zack has no idea whether this is how it's supposed to be. He draws back, prepared to make all manner of excuses, but Spencer's eyes portray amazement and hope, not concern or shock.

"I was wondering if that was going to happen," Spencer says, voice low, and Zack tries to focus on the words but everything seems flushed and he doesn't really know what's going on.

He takes a deep breath. Runs everything over, every lingering glance. "You started it." Zack is slightly shaky, but he's still pretty certain he didn't misread the signals. That have never really stopped, but never progressed to anything.

"You never really showed any interest back," Spencer counters. Zack sputters; it's not quite true. "Not enough. You're just so damn curious about everything, and you have a tendency to stare at everyone."

"I don't."

Spencer smiles. He's only drawn back six inches; still dangerously in Zack's personal space. "You do. I'll point it out at some point." He sighs, then pushes a hand through his hair, dragging an errant lock that's in his face back. "Besides, I've misread signals before."

Zack tries to think. His eyes go wide. "Ethan." Spencer smiles again, and gives a little nod. "Most of Campus thought there was something there for months."

"He was a prat about it. Was very nice turning me down, but didn't really bother explaining," Spencer says. "I didn't want to risk that happening here. I was happy with late night conversations about the Riemann Hypothesis."

"That's not all you want, though." Zack hasn't stopped being nervous at any point in this conversation, but his uncertainty shows here. He turns his chair an inch, leans his body in more; all signs, that he believes, express than he wants more.

"I don't get what I want," Spencer says; and Zack stops an impulse to kiss him again right there, because Spencer is someone who should have everything. But this conversation isn't finished.

"Have me." He says it with determination. Places his hands firmly on Spencer's knees, makes it as clear as he can manage; this thing is mutual.

Spencer spends several moments just, examining him, cataloguing his earnest expression, the slight furrow of eyebrows. Brushes a thumb across one of Zack's hands, and is rewarded by a clasp of the hand back. He looks, and he knows; Zack is honest about this, as certain as he's ever been about anything.

Their second kiss is much like their first. A little more certainty, because they both know it is coming, but that doesn't mean either of them know how to kiss someone, or how to adequately respond when someone kisses them.

The third one sees a book knocked off the table, a scrabble of feet and of purchase and realising, oh, that's how it works, bodies pressed against each other and both of them think: I could get used to this.

.

Zack's the first to make it out East, in the end; Brennan wants him as soon as possible when she offers him the position, and Spencer sees him off saying that he's got his FBI recruitment papers and it won't be long until he joins him in DC.

He likes it at the Jeffersonian. Dr Brennan is the most brilliant woman he's ever met, and he's learning like he never has before. He and Hodgins have reached a tentative truce, based mostly on the fact that Zack is grateful for the apartment he provides, and has realised that Hodgins has anger issues that someday will be dealt with.

They still bicker, over casework, whenever they cross paths and their expertise doesn't quite line up. Hodgins lords that fact that he has three doctorates and Zack has none and some days Zack just wants to reply, that Hodgins isn't the only person he knows with three (and that's taking Brennan out of the equation) but he never does.

Spencer, eventually, does show up. Zack's working, but he gets a text when Spencer's flight lands and another when he's outside and Brennan must see something in him, that's jumpy and more excitable than usual because she dismisses him - "You're distracted. I expect better tomorrow, Mr. Addy." Usually, her comments would upset Zack, but today he doesn't care.

Spencer is sitting on the steps outside. Short sleeved shirt and tie, glasses on and doing nothing against the afternoon sun, but he's the best thing Zack's seen in a month.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," Spencer says, standing up, and embracing Zack warmly, using every bit of his height advantage to wrap himself around the other man as Zack's hands clutch the back of his shirt just as intensely. A glinting smile, and then a kiss; brightness and sunshine and maybe someone will tell Dr Brennan or Hodgins about this, but Zack doesn't really care; this is who he is, this is who he loves.

Hand tangled in Spencer's hair, smiling and really, all they're doing is clumsily bumping lips now because they haven't seen each other in a month, they're entitled. Zack is where he always wants to be; in his favourite place, with his favourite person.

And just for that, he kisses Spencer again.


End file.
